Toxic Torts

We defend product manufacturers and sellers against a wide variety of personal injury claims involving environmental and workplace exposure to hazardous substances, including asbestos, benzene, lead, chlorinated solvents, and other chemicals and metals. We also represent property owners, builders, and contractors in matters involving indoor air quality and mold. Our understanding of the science associated with defending these claims produces excellent results, including trial victories, summary judgment rulings, and dismissals.

National and Regional Coordinating Counsel

We routinely serve as national and regional coordinating counsel for major manufacturers.

Served as national coordinating counsel for a former manufacturer of lead paint and pigment in industry-wide conspiracy, fraud, and public nuisance litigation throughout the United States. In addition to our trial work, we obtained dismissals of lead personal injury and abatement claims in more than 100 other actions across the country.
Served as national coordinating counsel for a major multinational consumer and industrial products manufacturer in trace benzene mass tort cases.
Served as regional coordinating counsel for a Fortune 100 company in defense of its asbestos litigation, obtaining dismissals, summary judgment rulings, and trial wins.
Served as regional coordinating counsel for an industrial valve manufacturer in defense of its asbestos litigation. In the course of over 10 years of representation, we have garnered voluntary dismissals in virtually every case.

Minnesota and Other Regional Representations

In addition to acting as national and regional counsel, we provide counsel to local companies and manufacturers. We have the ability to get up to speed quickly and step in as trial counsel at any point in the case.

Counsel for manufacturer defending against hydrochloric acid exposures.
More than 60 cases on behalf of builders, contractors, and property owners involving claims of personal injury, uninhabitability, or construction defect due to mold or poor indoor air quality in residential and commercial property.
Lead counsel for a multinational manufacturer of defense products in connection with personal injury, medical monitoring, “cancerphobia,” and class action litigation arising out of contamination of a regional drinking water aquifer with trichloroethylene and other chlorinated solvents.

Representative Trial Experience

Our recent trial experience includes:

Obtaining a defense verdict in a week-long trial of a residential indoor air-quality case in Washington County, Minnesota. (2016)
Obtaining a defense verdict in a two-week trial in a mesothelioma case tried in Ramsey County, Minnesota. (2012)
Obtaining a defense verdict in a two-week trial of a personal injury case claiming cancer from trace benzene products in Madison County, Illinois. (2010)
Serving as trial counsel in public nuisance and product liability cases in Rhode Island (2005-06, the longest civil jury trial in Rhode Island history) and Wisconsin. (2007)
Serving as trial counsel for a gasoline retailer involving personal injury and property damage claims arising out of leaking underground storage tanks.
Serving as trial counsel for a major Minnesota municipality involving multiple claims for personal injury, property damage, and economic loss based upon allegedly toxic airborne releases from municipality’s wastewater treatment plant.